lady in red
by aut0phile
Summary: AU, inspired by the portrayals of characters in the RE2 remake. Leon Kennedy is a young trainee in the police academy, out for the night at the local bar with his friends. There, he discovers a sexy, mysterious woman who he has never seen before, and can't take his eyes off of her. He decides to ignore his insecurities and take a chance. (Leon x Ada)
1. Chapter 1

**Since the Resident Evil 2 remake just came out, I have been doing my research on Resident Evil. I haven't played any of the games (I know, I'm a poser) but from what I saw in the remake, I became obsessed with Leon and Ada's complicated relationship. This fic might not be completely true to character, but I had to get something out to keep myself from going crazy. Please read and review! Thank you.**

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A bar wasn't exactly Leon Kennedy's favorite place to be, but he was feeling a bit adventurous, so he and a couple friends from the academy decided to go out that night and have a few drinks. He didn't even like alcohol that much, but he thought that it couldn't hurt. However, when he and a few friends got to their bar of choice, he couldn't help but feel like there was a sort of damper on this particular night. The smiles on his friends' faces were subdued and there was little conversation among them as they drank.

Leon himself had gotten through a few beers when suddenly, the bar went silent for a moment. He looked up from his mug to see a woman walking up to the bar. She wore a red blouse and black jeans that hugged shapely legs tightly. She sauntered up to the bar and sat down casually, the loud clacking of her black stilettos like daggers in the curtain of quiet. Suddenly, the moment was gone, and the chatter of the other patrons resumed.

He was surprised that a woman would come to a bar alone, let alone a woman as beautiful as her. Didn't girls always come to bars in groups? Instantly, he knew there was something special about this new arrival.

He did want to do something about the fact that she was sitting alone. His friend sitting to his right, Albert, seemed to notice his fixation on the lady in red. He tapped him on the shoulder, causing Leon to look at him with a confused expression. With a sideways grin, Albert asked, "You wanna do something about that chick at the bar?"

Leon felt the tips of his ears heat up, but he tried to brush it off by letting out a nervous laugh. "Maybe," he replied simply. Albert clapped him on the back.

His friend's expression suddenly became serious, and his tone less playful, but instead honest. "Go for it, buddy. 'You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take,' right? It won't hurt." Leon smiled. Albert had always been good at boosting his confidence, in situations just like these, and many others.

"Thanks," Leon breathed. He slid to the edge of the booth and stood, but as Leon looked at the lady in red once more, he doubted himself for a moment. _Are you really the kind of guy to approach someone you don't know?_

Leon knew he couldn't let the opportunity just pass him by since it was likely she would be approached by many other men tonight. However, instead of walking to the bar to talk to the beautiful woman, he found his legs propelling him towards the bathroom, and fast. He pushed open the door to the bathroom and walked up to the sink and the mirror that hung above it. He looked himself in the eye and said to his mirror image, "You can do this, Leon."

 _You're ridiculous,_ Leon's subconscious announced to him. He turned the faucet on, cupping his hands to hold some of the water, and splashed a little on his face. He didn't want to look like he'd just dunked his head in a pool, so he took it easy, but enough to look normal. Every time he went out, he resolved to take it easy on the liquor, and he was glad he did, because he didn't want to sound like a total idiot when he went up to this woman.

Leon opened the door and left the bathroom, finally ready to take his chance. When he turned the corner from the hallway that led to the bathroom, he looked at the bar to find the woman being talked to by a tall man. He was smiling as if the two were all buddy-buddy while talking to her, but she seemed uninterested in his small talk. She simply sat there sipping away at her cocktail, eyes glued to the bar, while he tried relentlessly to get her interested. Leon decided to slowly make his way over to the bar, expecting the situation to go south quickly.

Now that he was closer, he could hear some of the things the man was saying to her. He spoke louder and louder for every second she ignored him, and only grew more and more irritated. "Come on, baby, let me buy you a drink, huh? One won't hurt." As Leon came around the bar, he watched her finally acknowledge the man's presence. She turned away from Leon, and he could only imagine the irritation on her face and in her voice until he heard her speak.

"I'm not interested, hotshot," she said confidently, her voice dripping with honey. Leon was impressed. She didn't seem intimidated in the slightest.

"She speaks!" Announced the drunkard, but after he spoke, all pleasantries evaporated from his demeanor. "Now come on, let me buy you a drink," he repeated, trying to make a pass at her by putting his hand on her shoulder. She smacked it off quickly, showing the first signs of irritation.

Leon began to stride towards the man, ready to come to the woman's defense. "What's wrong with you?" Whined the drunk. "Can't accept a friendly offer? What a bitch."

Leon finally stepped between the two, ready to take care of him, but before he could do anything, the man simply ambled off, mumbling under his breath. He made a show of kicking the door open and leaving, earning a shout of anger from the barkeep. Once again, people had been watching in silence, and seconds after his departure, they continued talking as if nothing had happened.

In the wake of the altercation, Leon simply stood a few feet in front of the woman, confused. "I was expecting him to throw a punch or something," Leon muttered under his breath. To be honest, he was a little disappointed he couldn't have defended her. That was a textbook method of impressing a woman, or so he had been taught.

Suddenly, the woman's voice cut through his thoughts, bringing him back to the real world. "You didn't need to step in like that, Mister Hero," she said, her voice still carrying the same calm, seductive tone.

He finally got a chance to look at her straight on. She was even more beautiful now that he had seen her face. She wore little makeup besides some mascara and blood-red lipstick. Her eyes were a striking green, her gaze impaling him and rooting him to the spot.

"Clearly," Leon began. " I mean, the situation basically took care of itse-"

"No," she interrupted. "I mean, I could have taken care of him myself." Leon studied her facial expression to see if there was any mirth in it, but he found none. He was surprised, but at the same time, he expected nothing less, based on her confident attitude.

"I don't doubt it," Leon conceded. "But I have a couple questions for you, if you don't mind." Leon almost balked at what he had just said. What was causing this sudden lack of respect for boundaries? However, she didn't seem bothered, which only confused him further.

"Ask away, cowboy," she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

Leon smiled slightly. "Mind if I, uh…" he faltered, gesturing towards the stool next to her at the bar. She nodded as means of response, turning back towards the wall of drinks behind the bar. He was growing more surprised by the second. Why was this working? Once again, he pushed the questions aside and hoisted himself onto the stool. He turned towards her slightly, resting one of his arms on the bar.

"So, I hate to sound cliché, but what's a woman like you doing at a dive like this?" Second after second, Leon was impressing himself with the confidence he was displaying. He watched her smile faintly, still looking into her almost-empty cocktail.

She stirred it with the small black straw as she replied. "I wanted something different. I usually go to nightclubs, that kind of thing, but lately, they've lost their charm for me."

Leon nodded. He signaled the barkeep for a drink of his own, and taking note of the emptiness of her glass, he asked, "Do you mind if I… buy you a drink? You're almost done with that one." He wanted to smack himself when he saw the expression on her face, a slight frown. Almost immediately, though, it became a flirtatious grin.

"I don't let a man buy me a drink until I know his name, handsome," she said, letting out a small giggle. Her laugh was a beautiful sound, he thought. Little by little, he realized, he was becoming more and more infatuated with this woman.

"Leon," he replied, finally getting his beer from the barkeep and taking a swig. He wiped his upper lip after putting the mug down, and asked, "And you are…?"

"Ada," she said, turning to look at him, rising from her leaning position to sit straight and turning towards him. She placed her left leg on the foot-stand on Leon's stool, which with any other person would have made him feel trapped, but with Ada, the gesture felt different.

"Well, Ada," he said, emphasizing her simple, yet elegant name, "May I buy you that drink now?"

She removed her leg from his stool and turned back towards the bar, nodding. "I'll take a mug of whatever you're having." Leon's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Really?" Was all he could manage to ask her.

"Yeah, why not? Let's have some fun. Those colorful lady drinks don't do much in terms of giving a buzz anyway." She gave him a powerful sideways glance as if to emphasize her point. He leaned back, putting his hands up in mock surrender.

"All right. Let's have some fun, then," Leon said, parroting Ada. Once again, he signaled for the barkeep, and when he approached, he requested "A mug of this," gesturing towards his, "for the lady, please." She laughed again. This caused him to turn and look at her, shooting her an inquisitory glance.

"Are you always this suave, Leon?" Ada asked without hesitation, throwing him off-balance. He began to stutter, suddenly struggling to string a sentence together.

"Well… no," he was able to say after a few seconds. Her head tilted to the side slightly, and her short hair hung off of her head like a curtain.

"What's causing this change tonight, then?" This gave Leon pause. He had no idea, if he was being honest with himself. He decided to tell her the same thing that his heart was telling him. He took a deep breath before speaking.

"I guess it's because… I've never seen a woman like you before." He deliberately directed his gaze away from her as she processed what he had said. He noticed some patrons sitting at the tables eyeing him with what looked like jealousy, and when he turned to the booth where he had been sitting before, he noticed Albert and his other friends giving him the thumbs up and a wave.

"Now what's that supposed to mean?" She asked, propping her head up by an arm that rested on the bar.

He turned back towards Ada, a bit nervous now. He was turning back into normal, cheesy, awkward Leon, and he didn't want his good streak to end. "Well, I mean, you're… beautiful. Also, I'm surprised you haven't come here with any friends. Do you usually go to bars alone, or is this new?"

"I'm not going to ignore the fact that you just called me beautiful, Leon," she said, smirking. Leon couldn't help but turn a bit red at how she called him out. At this point, she had to know she was teasing him. He could feel his leg beginning to shake from nerves. "You're sweet, you know that?" She continued. "I feel like you don't let a lot of people see that side of you, if I'm right."

"Well," Leon began, trying to assert himself, "That's a conversation for another time." One of her eyebrows rose in surprise, and he realized what he had implied when he said that. "Anyway, you didn't answer my question." He was satisfied with how he hadn't faltered for once, and waited for her response, taking another generous swig from his tall mug.

"I've never exactly been the one for friends," Ada admitted somewhat quietly. Leon leaned in slightly to hear her better. Her gaze fell to her hands, which she had begun to wring under the bar, he noticed.

"Why's that?" Leon was drawn in by her cryptic response, and he wanted to know as much as he possibly could about this mysterious woman before the night was over.

"Well," she began, developing a small grin, contrasting her slight discomfort of just seconds ago, "that's a conversation for another time, isn't it?"

"I suppose I deserved that," Leon said, grinning. He leaned back and for a moment studied Ada, giving her a quick up-and-down glance. His eyes rested on her legs once more. They were long and toned, and he was struck with a desire to -

He glanced away. Now was not the time to be having creepy thoughts. Suddenly, his phone, which had sat in his jeans pocket, buzzed. He said, "Just a second, Ada," and fished it out of his pocket. The notification he received was a text from Albert.

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 _we're heading out, u leaving w us or u gonna keep talking 2 the hottie in red?_

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Leon smiled, typed out a quick "catch you later" and stuffed his phone back in his pocket. He looked back up at Ada, who had been alternating glances between Leon's reaction and the phone in his hand. She spoke with her jaw resting on a closed fist. "Was that a hot date?"

Leon shook his head vehemently. "No, not at all. It's just my buddies who came here with me." She nodded, then proceeded to finish the remainder of her beer in one gulp. Leon looked on in amazement.

"Well," Ada announced, "I think it's about time I got going." She hopped down from her stool and Leon followed suit, slapping a few bills on the bar. He didn't know how much he had put down, but it was probably enough for the drinks he had bought.

"Let me walk you out," Leon offered. He now noticed that he wasn't much taller than Ada, at least at her height in heels. She smiled and walked away from him towards the door, looking at him while making a "come hither" gesture with her hand. He chuckled and followed. He looked one last time at the other bargoers before he left, and he could have sworn he noticed a few guys give him a nod of approval as he walked. Ada pushed the door open and Leon caught it, following her out into the warm night.

She stood in front of the bar with her arms crossed, the neon signs on the wall illuminating her face so beautifully that she looked like a technicolor daydream. Leon approached her so that he stood about two feet away, just to be safe. However, he noticed her inching closer to him where he stood. Alarm bells were beginning to quietly whine in his head.

"It was really nice meeting you, Ada," Leon said. He smiled and she reflected him. Suddenly, Leon felt hot. He now noticed that the proximity between him and the beautiful, mysterious Ada had decreased slowly and he hadn't noticed. Her face was inches away from his own, and his next words got caught in his throat. The alarm bells were screaming now, blood rushing in his ears, but he somehow kept it under control.

"The real pleasure was meeting you, Leon," Ada whispered seductively. Leon's eyes widened. _God, she's beautiful._ Leon nodded, half in response to his own thought, and half in response to Ada's statement. He closed his eyes and tried to regain his composure, but during the moment that he shut them, he felt a feather-soft pressure on his cheek, and a hand on his chest.

His eyes shot open, and he watched Ada's face slowly inch away from his. He also felt her take his hand in her own and place something in it. She took a few steps back, giving him a small wave, and saying, "Bye now." She turned away from him, and her hips swayed seductively as she walked into the night.

"Bye, Ada," Leon called after her. He watched her go until he could no longer make out her figure, and the shadows swallowed her. He had still not examined the item Ada had placed in his hand, so he decided to do that now that she was gone. He opened his fist and found that it was a slightly ruffled scrap of paper. He held it up closer to his eyes so that he could make out the small writing on it.

 _"For another time,"_ it read in looping, delicate script, and below it a set of digits. Leon's jaw almost dropped from astonishment and elation. He read the note over and over, engraining the image into his mind to convince him that what he held in his hand was real. He stuffed it into his pocket and turned in the opposite direction she had walked, with a smile that stretched ear to ear.

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To: ALBERT

Attachment: 1 Image

 _the lady in red is dancing with me, cheek to cheek…_

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 **Thanks so much for reading this. I hope you enjoyed! I think I intend for this fic to be a oneshot, but if you have any ideas for a future chapter, please let me know in the reviews! Until next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Now, THIS is the climax I suspect you all have been waiting for. Enjoy this chapter and leave a review when you finish, if you'd like.**

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It took Leon a week to call the number Ada had scribbled on the paper, due to his characteristic self-doubt. Throughout the week, Leon relived that night at the bar over and over again, every minute of every day, even during training at the academy. He was teased constantly by his buddies who had been there with him, from sly looks to jokes. Leon took it all in stride. Albert was the only person he ever talked to about Ada, and he got an earful of classic, hopeless-romantic lines and sentiments.

After a few days of incessant speeches about the woman in red, Albert finally pulled Leon aside and told him, "Look, we're glad that you've fallen in love or whatever, but you can't go on like this and not do anything about the fact that she gave you her number for a reason. Call her already."

Leon knew that Albert was right, so after a few more days of debating with himself, he finally picked up the phone and dialed the number. Before pressing the "call" button, Leon took a deep breath, exhaling all of the nerves he felt at that moment and turning them into carbon dioxide. He tapped the screen and raised the phone to his ear. He heard the sound of the phone dialing and ringing and waited for Ada to pick up, or ignore the call.

She picked up after two and a half rings, and when he heard her voice for the first time in a week, he almost couldn't speak. "Hello, who is this?"

Leon fumbled over his words for the next few seconds, and after she quizzically asked "Hello?" into the phone a second time, he was able to form a sentence.

"Hey, Ada, it's Leon," he greeted, trying to sound as calm as possible. The butterflies in his stomach settled slightly.

"Oh, Leon! To what do I owe the pleasure?" She somehow managed to sound sexy as hell at all hours of the day. Leon closed his eyes and smiled. He could almost imagine that once again, she was sitting next to him at the bar and they were sharing a round of drinks.

"Oh, I, uh… Well, I can't get you out of my head, Ada… I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go on a date sometime soon." Leon felt even better now that he had said what he wanted to say. He wondered if Ada's presence simply brought out his romantic side. It was likely. He could have sworn he heard a small gasp on the other line as he spoke.

"I admire your boldness, Leon… Well, yes, actually, I'm free tonight. Are you available?" Her calm voice totally contrasted the current thoughts bouncing off the inner walls of his mind, saying things along the lines of _Did she just say yes_ or _You're the luckiest man alive._ He took a moment to process what she said, running a hand through his hair and taking a seat on his bed.

"Yeah. Yes, I'm free. Yeah. What time should I pick you up?" Leon's mind was going a mile a minute, thinking of what would happen, where he would take her, what he would wear, when -

"Slow down, Leon," she said, laughing. "You don't know _where_ to pick me up yet." Leon took a deep breath and nodded, even though he realized she wouldn't be able to see it.

"Sorry. I - I guess I'm a bit excited, is all," Leon admitted sheepishly, leaning back until he lay flat on his bed, trying to chill out.

"So am I, Leon," she replied. He could hear a smile in her voice. "I'll text you the address. See you tonight!"

"See ya," Leon parroted, bringing the phone down from his ear.

As he was lowering it, though, he heard her cry, "Wait, Leon!" At the speed of light, the phone was at his ear once more.

"What is it?" He was curious about what would make her have second thoughts about hanging up. There was a beat of silence, and Leon guessed she was trying to phrase what she wanted to say. It was good to know she could hesitate just as he could, that she didn't always know what she was going to say before she said it.

"Don't think too hard on where to take me," she said. Leon frowned slightly, but he realized she had more to say, so he kept quiet. "I know you'll pick a nice place no matter what it is." His frown transformed into a smile, and his concern dissipated instantly.

"Okay, Ada. See you tonight." This time, he brought the phone down from his ear and tapped the "end call" button. He placed the phone off to his right, and stretched out on the bed, then rolling off, realizing he had to pick out some nice clothes and think of somewhere to go.

* * *

Leon sat in his car, on the sidewalk outside the address Ada had texted him. She lived in an apartment building several stories tall, which gave him a few minutes to mentally prepare himself after sending her a text that simply read "I'm outside."

He saw her push open the front door, striding towards his car with purpose. As she approached him, he took note of what she wore: black heels, stockings, and a black dress. Leon unlocked his car with his eyes still glued to Ada. Her hips swayed in the way they had when she walked away from him after placing her number in his hand. The dress hugged her hourglass figure tightly, her toned thighs stretching the fabric as she walked.

Finally, she reached his car and bent down slightly to pull the door open. Leon noticed her cleavage as she bent forward, but he directed his gaze downwards when she sat quickly in the passenger seat. "Hello, Leon," she said, setting her purse between her legs. Leon looked up at her at last, noticing a set of dangling earrings hanging from her ears.

"Hey," he whispered. He looked into her eyes, those sparkling green orbs, that told him so much, her gaze announcing, _You're lucky that I'm looking at you._ "You look nice, he added, speaking slightly louder. She smiled seductively.

"Thank you, Leon," she replied. He was frozen by her stare, hands turning white from how hard he was gripping the steering wheel. "So," Ada began, inspecting her nails, "where will you take me?" Her words snapped Leon out of his reverie, and he started the car to maneuver out of the spot he had parked in.

"You'll see," was all Leon said by way of response. His eyes were now on the road, making it easier to not implode from the effect of Ada's sexy stare.

"I _love_ a good mystery," Ada purred. Leon gulped. It was still hard to believe Ada was in his car, showing excitement about the date he was taking her on, talking to him in such an intimate way that she made him lose control on the inside. The light at the intersection he was approaching turned red, and Leon turned back to Ada, placing his hand on the divider between the seats.

"So how was your week?" He asked. As much as Leon liked to avoid small talk, he didn't want to bite off more than he could chew. The light turned green, and Leon pressed his foot down on the gas, turning back towards the road once more.

"It felt quite mundane," she replied. "I'm usually engaged in my work, but I couldn't stop thinking about the sweet guy at the bar who bought me a drink." From his peripheral vision, Leon could see Ada smiling enticingly. He himself was grinning ear to ear, unable to contain his glee at what she had just said.

"Really? What's your profession?" Leon had resolved with himself earlier that he wanted to get to know her above all else during this first date, so naturally, he jumped at the opportunity to ask about her life.

"I'm a psychologist," she replied. Leon raised an eyebrow. _Now that's not something you hear every day,_ he thought.

"Wow," he breathed. "What's that like?" He imagined Ada sitting across from a client, legs crossed, chewing on a pen as she listened to them speak, offering observations in that trademark voice that simply oozed sex. _Hot,_ his subconscious mused.

"It's very interesting, actually. My training sometimes carries over outside of work, and I catch myself analyzing other people without realizing." Leon was very interested now. He was getting more than he had asked for with that question, and he was glad. "Oh, and by the way," she added, causing Leon to perk up again, "If I start analyzing _you_ _,_ Leon, please stop me. I've been told it can be quite irritating."

Leon smiled and glanced over towards her. She was already looking at him, and he remembered how hard it was to speak in front of her for a moment. "Don't worry about it, Ada," he reassured her. He looked back at the road, steering to the left, and said, "We're here, actually."

They looked together at a modest-seeming restaurant, that had old-timey neon lights that spelled out "Metropolis Café." Ada seemed interested. "Ooh," she cooed. "This looks nice." Leon pulled into a spot that was on the next block, pushed his door open, and stepped out into the warm evening. He didn't hesitate to walk around the front of the car and pull Ada's door open as well. She smiled and reached out for Leon's hand. He took hers and helped her out of the car. She stepped onto the sidewalk, standing mere inches away from Leon. His breath hitched as she stood to her full height, her lips inches away from his jaw. "You're quite the gentleman, Leon," she whispered onto him, causing him to shiver slightly. _God help me,_ he thought.

He took a small step back and stretched his arm out for her to take, asking "You ready?" She replied with "Of course" and obliged him, wrapping her left hand around his right arm and resting her right hand on it.

They began to walk towards the restaurant in silence, both nervous about what would happen inside. Leon felt confident with the beautiful woman at his side, but he was still nervous about not being able to maintain her interest. _Oh well,_ he thought. _We'll see._

* * *

"No way," Ada said, laughing. Leon was telling her his best story, and he was getting the desired effect and more, including some hand touches and loud laughs just like the one he had just heard.

"So the sergeant comes out of the break room and at the _top of his lungs,_ he just yells, 'Who brewed this cup-of-shit coffee!?'" This was the end of Leon's tale, and he laughed uproariously along with Ada at the long-awaited climax. The two had been talking nonstop for the entire night, and they had filled themselves with several glasses of wine. He had told her about his status as a cop-in-training, at which she'd made a joke about his "heroic attitude."

"That has got to be the funniest story I have ever heard, Leon," Ada said, smiling brightly and lightly resting her hand on his. Leon smiled back. He was having the time of his life, and he hoped she felt the same way he did. He had never been able to get lost in conversation the same way he had with Ada tonight, and this only increased his attraction to her.

Leon pulled his phone out of his pocket with his free hand and peeked at the time. It was 9:04 p.m. He stuffed the phone back into his pants and looked back up at Ada, who was gazing intently at him. "Well," he said, "are you ready to head out?"

Ada retracted her hand from atop his and pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Whenever she did this, Leon found himself transfixed by the way she flipped her hair back while lightly running her hand across her cheek. "Sure," she responded. Leon immediately turned towards the nearest waiter and signaled for the check. Leon quickly considered what they could do after leaving the restaurant. He could take her home, or he could take her back to his place, or they could go someplace else. He chose to ask Ada what her thoughts were.

"So," Leon began. "Do you want to go home, or do something else?" He watched her ponder his question, looking up at the ceiling and back at him.

"I have a place in mind," Ada said, smirking. Leon's curiosity was piqued by her vagueness.

"Where's that?" He asked.

"You'll see," she said, still smirking. Leon smiled, remembering how he had kept the location he was going to take her to hidden until they arrived, and realized that she was only doing what he had done earlier.

The waiter came with the check, Leon paid, and they walked out of the restaurant, Ada once again latched to Leon's arm. At the moment that they again entered the evening, Leon remembered his nerves from earlier and was surprised that he had even felt them in the first place; he felt much more at home with Ada now than he had before they shared dinner.

They entered his car once again, and Ada told him to drive to the outskirts of the city, periodically giving him directions on where to turn. The roads they were traversing were dark and lined with trees. Leon joked as they were climbing a steep hill, "You're not taking me here to kill me, are you?"

She chuckled and replied, "Of course not." Soon enough, they seemed to have reached the top of the hill, and Ada stopped him at the mouth of a clearing. They stepped out of the car simultaneously, walking slowly out onto the grass. From their vantage point, they could see the entire city, in all of its shining glory, skyscrapers and bright lights shining radiantly from a great distance away.

"Wow," Leon whispered. "I've never seen this before." Ada sidled up to him and took his hand in hers. He looked down at her as she gazed out at the magnificent view. Her hair reflected the soft shine of moonlight and her eyes twinkled, and this was the most beautiful Leon had ever seen her, when he could hardly tell there was any makeup on her face.

"It's my favorite spot in this entire area," Ada whispered back. She turned to look at Leon before she asked, "Do you want to… sit down?"

"Won't you get your dress dirty?" Leon asked. Ada sighed and punched him in the arm lightly.

"On the car, dummy," she said lovingly. Leon looked back down at her and smiled. He turned around and led her back to his car, his hand gripped tightly by Ada, both laughing quietly as he pulled her gently. He let go of her hand to hop up onto the hood, and she followed suit. When he looked down at the ground, he noticed that she had discarded her heels. He thought nothing of it, instead appreciating that she felt comfortable enough to do so, even though it was more likely it was hard to walk on grass in heels.

Leon reached for Ada's hand once more and looked at her. She matched his gaze, and she seemed so calm, a small smile on her lips as she looked into his eyes. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," he said quietly. She squeezed his hand.

"Oh, stop," Ada said, waving her other hand to the side as if literally pushing away his compliment. However, she was smiling a bit wider. This made Leon's smile a bit bigger as well. "You're the sweetest man I've ever been with," she added as an afterthought.

Leon was a bit surprised by this statement. He hadn't thought of himself as _with_ her, per se, but now that she brought it up, he realized that he wanted so badly to be with her. Before making any assumptions, though, he wanted to make sure that she meant what she said.

"Am I… with you?" Leon asked haltingly. Those old nerves were back. "Do you want to be with me?" Her smile was as big as he had ever seen it on her face, and he was suffering from the suspense she was imbuing the situation with.

"Yes," she cried. "I want to be with you, Leon. If you'll have me." Leon's jaw dropped slightly, and he felt the beginnings of tears in his eyes. _God, Leon, keep it together!_ Ada's eyes were now glistening, and he assumed she was experiencing the same thing. Suddenly, as if second nature, he brought his left hand to her face, leaned in towards her, and kissed her passionately. She reciprocated, bringing her hand up, away from his that rested on the hood of the car and resting it lightly on his shoulder. He leaned further into her, and she made no effort to resist. They continued to fall slowly backward, lips still locked, until they were stopped by the warm metal of the car. Finally, Leon pulled away from her, gently caressing her cheek with his thumb, over hair that had fallen on her face during their kiss.

He smiled and she smiled back at him, and they laughed, wiping away tears that had almost fallen. Leon knew then that he would remember this moment for the rest of his life. "I want to be with you too, Ada," he finally admitted. "Like you wouldn't believe."

They lay there for several minutes, studying each other, without saying a single word. The warm night air embraced them as they shared this moment, stars glowing mellowly in the sky, and the entire moment was so perfect, as if it had been planned for millennia. Leon had never believed in a higher power, but he supposed he owed his fortune to whatever, or whoever, had caused this to happen.

 _I'm the luckiest man in the world,_ he thought - no, he knew.

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 **I hope you all enjoyed reading this story as much as I did writing it! This particular chapter might be my favorite I've ever written. I think I really got what I wanted out of this narrative, and I hope you readers did too. Please leave a review! Those would be much appreciated. Until the next fic!**


	3. Valentine's Day

**Hello readers! With the coming (and going) of Valentine's Day, I was inspired to write something for these two. I realize that it's a few days late, but I hope you will still be in the mood for something romantic! Please read and leave a review if you feel like it.**

* * *

Leon and Ada had been going strong for a few months. Leon's confidence had increased exponentially in that time as if Ada's own had rubbed off on him. The invisible barriers he had felt in the early days of their relationship had vanished, and when they weren't on a date or relaxing at one of their apartments, they were thinking of each other, texting, or on the phone.

Months later, he was still amazed that he could find such a mature, beautiful woman to be his partner. Some days, she showed up at the precinct to pick him up. He'd get a tap on the shoulder and one of his buddies would say, "Your mom's here." The first time he heard that he did a double-take, but after a few times, he got used to it, because it would always be Ada, dressed in her elegant work clothes, waving at him from the car, a brilliant smile gracing her face. Leon loved the way she looked in a pantsuit.

"You look sexy," he said one time, sitting down in the passenger seat. He watched some blood flow to her cheeks and the tips of her ears. This made him smirk devilishly, glad that he could have this effect on her just as she had the same effect on him.

"Stop it, Leon," she said, trying to sound as authoritative as possible, but her eyes were glued to the dashboard and she was still slightly red. "You know, I was feeling very confident as I was leaving work today."

Leon raised one of his eyebrows. "Oh, yeah?" He prompted, waiting for what was next.

"Yes, and I was thinking during the whole drive over here, 'I'm going to embarrass Leon so bad when I get there,' but then you had to go and make me feel like a high-schooler again. I have a reputation, you kno- Hey!"

Leon was laughing, trying to cover it with his mouth, but the sound still escaped, and she punched him on the arm. His sides started to hurt from his hard laughter, so he took a moment to catch his breath. She was trying hard to look angry at him, but he was smiling brightly at her, and she couldn't help but laugh as well. "You're the worst, Leon," she said, giggling at herself.

"You're adorable, Ada." Leon leaned towards her as she looked ahead, and pecked her on the cheek. As he drew away from her, he watched a small smile form on her face. He turned away, victorious, and she began to drive.

Moments like those were what Leon loved about their relationship. Not the fancy dates where they dressed up and went to an expensive restaurant, but the little moments in between where he could talk to her, kiss her, and hold her, experience the real her. He had a feeling she didn't show her easygoing side to many other people. Knowing that she saved that part of her for him only made him feel even luckier than he already did.

There was a holiday coming up, though. The holiday. The one that tested a relationship, the one that could build one up or break it down. Valentine's Day. Leon had been thinking of how he could show his love for her on this day, weeks before the day came. At the moment, he was lying on his couch, pondering small details of his plans for both of them. He thought of settings: a restaurant, a park, a movie. He thought of gifts: a teddy bear, a bouquet, a single rose, chocolate. He was slowly beginning to drive himself crazy, so he picked up a book and began to read, in order to distract himself from the stressful prospect of such a day.

After a few minutes of reading, Leon's phone buzzed. When he whipped it out of his pocket, he saw a text from Ada. He smiled at the screen and thought, _Speak of the devil._

* * *

 _thinking of you :)_

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* * *

Attached was a photo of one of those e-cards that contained a sarcastic message and an old-timey comic book drawing. The one she had sent read, "I could watch TV with you forever," and a sketch of a woman resting her head on a man's shoulder.

Suddenly, an idea popped into Leon's head, and it began to develop at breakneck speed as the gears of his mind began to turn. As he thought, a grin slowly formed on his face, and when he had developed his idea to its full potential, he was sure he looked like a maniac. A happy, love-struck maniac.

It occurred to Leon to reply to Ada's text of a few minutes ago. He felt particularly romantic at that moment, so he decided to send something that matched his current mood.

* * *

 _all i ever do is think of you_

* * *

He put his phone down on the couch and walked into his kitchen, already picturing this perfect night in his head, and falling in love with the idea even more as the seconds passed.

 _Several days later_

The phone rang in Leon's ear as he waited for Ada to pick up. He had noticed that the number of rings it took her to pick up his calls slowly decreased over time, as they grew closer and more comfortable with each other. This time, it took her a little longer than one ring to answer.

"Hey, babe," she said by means of greeting, and Leon shivered. Months later, her voice was still enough to make him think naughty, dirty things even while they were discussing menial things like their respective days at work or what to eat.

"Hey, Ada," Leon replied. "So listen, I had this idea. Wait, let me ask you something first. What do you think of Valentine's Day?" He waited for her response with bated breath.

"Well…." she seemed tense. "It's personally not my favorite holiday. The whole concept feels theatrical to me. I get that the idea is to show love to your partner, but really, most show that love to others more than the person they're in a relationship with. I don't have a problem with the holiday itself, but the way people see it. Do you know what I'm saying?"

Leon smiled. So far, it sounded like his idea was gonna work. "Yeah, I totally get that. So like I was saying, I had this idea. Could I… come over to your place tomorrow night?" He closed his eyes, nerves slowly starting to take over from his original confidence.

"Ooh," Ada purred. "What are your plans for me, officer?" Her tone oozed sex, and Leon's heart began to beat faster than normal. She called him "officer" either when she was mocking him, or when she wanted to make his cheeks hot, and maybe send some blood to particular other parts of his body as well. This was definitely an occasion where it was the latter.

"God, I love it when you talk to me like that…. But that wasn't necessarily what I had in mind. How about this: I come over and instead of being all theatrical like you said, we have the night to ourselves? We could watch a movie, order some pizza, and do whatever else we want." As he finished talking, Leon felt a rush of pride at how he had come up with such an idea. Now he had to await her reply.

"I love that idea, Leon. That sounds… perfect, actually. So, come over tomorrow at 7. I'll be waiting for pizza and a damn good movie." Ada's authoritative tone had returned to her voice, and Leon was filled with elation at her positive response.

"Okay, Ada. I can't wait."

"Neither can I, hotshot," she replied, and Leon could imagine the smirk on her face as she said that. He tapped the "end call" button and set the phone down on his desk. Words could not describe the excitement he was feeling at that moment. He hadn't seen Ada in a couple of days, and he missed her like crazy. He hoped she shared the sentiment.

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, Leon had been thinking back to his favorite moments in his and Ada's relationship, and in retrospect, they had done so many things together in just a few months. Leon remembered the day they had gone out to the park for a picnic and the way she had smiled at him brightly and lovingly when he handed her a glass of wine, and when she looked at him lovingly when he toasted, "to days like these."

His mind then jumped to the time they had exited a movie theater to pouring rain and ran through the storm to the nearest pizzeria, and watched the downpour in amazement, while holding each other's hand tightly on the smooth and cold table that was becoming wet from their soaked clothes. The chef had looked at them and smiled, then went back to making pies while they waited out the storm. Whenever there was a clap of thunder, Leon felt Ada flinch slightly, and he would look over at her and see her eyes shut tight. He'd squeeze her hand and smile in efforts to comfort her, and it always seemed to work. She would smile back and gaze into his eyes, reciprocating the tighter grip he offered. When the rain finally seemed to ease up, they took the train to Leon's house and dried themselves off, then warmed up together in his bed, engaging in several activities to aid that process.

Those were only some of the many good memories of the months he had shared with her thus far. Others were just as nice, but he had felt himself blushing when he thought of the things they had done in his bedroom and decided to distract himself with whatever was on TV.

He proceeded to watch for a few hours, then shuffled into his bedroom and passed out on his bed, his imagination running wild with possible scenarios concerning his relaxing night with Ada, and when he woke up he had a vague memory of a dream where she told him she loved him.

* * *

Ada had been impressed by Leon's idea. It seemed to cater to all of her desires, the perfect mix of romantic and relaxed. He knew her so well, which was rather impressive considering how they had only been together for a few months, but he knew things like how she didn't like to be doted on when she was having a bad day but instead preferred to just be in his company, or how she _loved_ chocolate, or how she was a sleep-talker, which had been a new discovery for her, but whenever she asked what kind of things she said, Leon would get red in the face and say "You'd be embarrassed if you knew."

It was approaching 7 PM, and Ada was anxiously awaiting Leon's arrival. Suddenly, the wait became unbearable, and she began to pace around her living room couch quickly, running her hands through her hair, debating whether to tie it up, put it in a bun, or just leave it down. She was wearing a t-shirt and short shorts, her typical home attire since she lived alone and sweats felt cumbersome.

She decided to leave her hair down, and finally, she sat down on the couch, feeling comfortable with her current appearance. As if perfectly on cue, the doorbell rang and Ada sprung from her seated position and sprinted to the door. Just as she was about to reach for the knob, she decided to look through the peephole and inspect Leon before she let him in.

He wore sweats and a hoodie. He seemed just as ready for a casual night as she. Ada turned the knob, stepping back to the let the door sweep past her, and took a stride towards Leon. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her waist, and she kissed him as a greeting.

"Took you long enough," Ada said with a smirk after pulling away from him.

"I arrived on time, though."

"Yeah, but it felt like I had to wait forever. Anyway, I have some popcorn if you want it. Come on in." She took him by the hand and led him into her apartment. This wasn't his first time there, so he knew the layout: where the bathrooms were, the kitchen, her bedroom…

He was about to follow her into the kitchen, but Ada turned around, noticing him behind her, and said, "You can go take a seat on the couch, hotshot. I'll be with you in a minute." She watched him fumble over his words for a second, then simply say "Okay" and walk awkwardly out of the room.

Ada couldn't help but laugh. She loved how easy it was to fluster him, and she also loved to take advantage of how much he loved the sound of her voice. The first time he had confessed that to her, she'd placed her hand on his thigh and said, "I know, cowboy." The look on his face made her burst into laughter, and even though he begged for her to stop, she wouldn't. She had buried her head into his shoulder and some tear stains blotted his shirt after she pulled away from him. She then had to reassure him it was from laughing so hard.

The popcorn was done, and she pulled it out of the microwave and poured it into a bowl. She sauntered out of the kitchen toward the living room, where Leon was sitting patiently, looking at his phone. She placed the popcorn in his lap, then took a seat next to him, curling up into him and resting her head on his shoulder. "So," she whispered, "What movie have you got in mind?"

"Oh, I need to, uh…" Leon gestured toward the TV, indicating that he needed to get up. She scooted away from him and he walked to the TV, pulling a DVD case out of his pocket. He showed it to her, and spoke the title that was displayed: "Pulp Fiction."

"Ohhh, I've heard so much about that movie. I've been meaning to watch it." Leon's smile glowed. He turned on her TV and put the disc in the DVD player. He returned to her on the couch and pressed "play" on the remote.

"I should probably warn you, this movie isn't for the faint of heart." Leon was looking back at her, but instead of a playful expression on his face, he looked serious.

"What, I'm not scared of a little blood!" She said, laughing. He smiled back at her, nodding. They let the movie play, not speaking for the majority of the movie.

* * *

"Oh, my God!" Ada exclaimed at the sudden gunshot, seeming so unexpected in the current situation. She gripped Leon tighter then, as he chuckled at her reaction.

 _"Oh man, I just shot Marvin in the face,"_ John Travolta mumbled rather nonchalantly. Ada was frowning at the screen.

"How in the world can you be so calm in a situation like that?" She asked over the rapid-fire dialogue that was happening between Vincent and Jules.

"They're hitmen, Ada. Killing people is their job," Leon replied simply.

"I don't think _anybody_ likes to see someone's brains splattered all over the insides of your car," Ada rebutted, nuzzling into Leon a bit more. They went back to silence, allowing the long-winded argument between the two hitmen to play out.

* * *

When the two wannabe crooks awkwardly shuffled out of the diner and the credits rolled, Ada yawned. Leon was still wide awake. He pressed pause on the remote as she took his jaw in her hand and turned him towards her. She kissed him in the lethargic way one does when they wake up early in the morning for work. He kissed back passionately, slowly pushing her down into the couch, until he was completely on top of her, caressing her hips and kissing her lips, her cheeks, her neck. She was breathing heavily, letting out little gasps when he sucked on her neck. Suddenly, something gave him pause. Still on top of her, he pulled away from her for a second and asked, "Are you okay with this?" She looked up at him curiously, caressing his cheek and gazing into his eyes.

"Of course, Leon," she said, eyebrows curled in a confused way, but only for a moment, because he whispered "okay" and went right back to what he had been doing seconds ago. She had no complaints.

He continued to kiss her passionately, only pausing to pull her shirt up over her head, Ada aiding him in doing so, only letting it break their kiss for an instant. He began to run his hands all over her upper half, feeling her taut stomach and the curvature of her breasts with his rough hands, while she placed one of her hands under his shirt, feeling the tense muscles of his abdomen and entangling the other in his thick, sandy hair.

She started to pull his shirt up and off of him, and he rushed to take it off and throw it off to the side. He hovered over her again for a second and looked at her affectionately. She smiled up at him, and he began to speak.

"I-" was all Leon was able to squeak out. She tapped him slightly, urging him to continue.

He took a deep breath before continuing and brought one of his hands to her cheek. "I think I love you, Ada." This caught her off guard. Her eyes widened for just an instant, then back to normal. If she was feeling any discomfort, she was concealing it quite well. Suddenly, Leon felt embarrassed and wished more than anything that he could take it back, since he'd disrupted their rhythm, and obviously made the whole situation awkward.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have s-"

"I love you too, Leon."

 _Huh?_

Now she was smiling brightly, giggling a little bit at the clear surprise on his face. He let out a deep breath he didn't realize he had been holding in, and lowered himself onto her, holding her tightly, squeezing all of the nerves he had been feeling into her.

"That's good," he whispered into her ear, his lips brushing against her earlobe. "That's good."

Moments later, they were back at it, quickly discarding each other's clothing and having probably the best sex of their lives.

But that's their business.

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 **I bet the more devious readers of this fic were a little disappointed by the abrupt ending, but I am also hopeful that the rest of the story satisfied you. This took me a little while to write due to schoolwork and limited time to write, but now that I'm on winter break, I had all the time in the world. Once again, I hope you enjoyed this, and I hope you will leave a review! Thanks for reading!**


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